Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T15:25:58.442Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mineralizable-N in the soil under various leys and its effect on the yields of following wheat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

J. K. R. Gasser
J. K. R. Gasser
Affiliation:
Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Soil samples taken in the autumn after ploughing ryegrass, clover, and ryegrass/clover leys were used to measure the mineral-N (ammonium-N + nitrate-N) in the fresh soil (mineral-Nfresh), the increase in mineral-N on incubating the fresh soils (Δmineral-Nfresh), and the increase in mineral-N on incubating the re-wetted air-dry soils (Δmineral -Nair-dry). Mineral-Nfresh and Δ mineral-Nair-dry were measured on further soil samples taken the following spring. Values of Δmineral-Nair-dry, not only correlated best with grain yields and N uptakes by wheat without fertilizer-N, but also with yield responses and fertilizer-N recovered from fertilizer-N applied to the winter wheat.

Treatment of the ley altered measurements on samples taken in the autumn but not those taken the following spring.

Soil samples taken in the autumn 1960 from under three-year grass leys were used to measure mineral-Nfresh, Δ mineral-Nfresh and Δ mineral-Nair-dry Spring wheat was grown in 1961 followed by spring barley in 1962. Further soil samples were taken in spring 1962 after cultivations were complete and before the barley was sown or fertilizers applied.

A mineral-Nair-dry was the best measurement to use on soils from under grass leys. Values depended on grass species, and were increased by N applied to the ley. Differences had largely disappeared 18 months later. A mineral-Nalr.dry was positively correlated with grain yields of spring wheat grown both with and without fertilizer-N, and with the yield response or the nitrogen recovered from, a dressing of 56 lb N/acre.

With fertilizer-N yields of winter wheat after the mixed leys tended to the same maximum value independently ofmineralizable-N in the soil. After grass leys maximum yields of spring wheat given fertilizer-N increased with increasing mineralizable-N in the soil.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 70 , Issue 3 , June 1968 , pp. 323 - 329
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1968

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Clement, C. R. (1967). Private communication.Google Scholar
Clement, C. R. & Williams, T. E. (1962). An incubation technique for assessing the nitrogen status of soils newly ploughed from leys. J. Soil Sci. 13, 82–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eagle, D. J. (1963). Responses of winter wheat to nitrogen and soil nitrogen status. J. Sci. Fd Agric. 14, 391–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eagle, D. J. (1966). Soil nitrogen analyses and their relation to nitrogen responses in winter wheat. J. Sci. Fd Agric. 17, 365–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gasser, J. K. B. (1961). Soil nitrogen VI. Correlations between laboratory measurements of soil mineral-N and crop yields and responses in pot and field experiments. J. Sci. I'd Agric. 12, 562–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
G. B. Min. AG. Fish. FD (1968). Nitrogen and soil organic matter. Proceedings of a Conference organized by the Soil Chemists of the National Agricultural Advisory Service, 22nd–23rd October 1964. LondonH.M.S.O. (In the Press.)Google Scholar
Widdowson, F. V., Penny, A. & Williams, R. J. B. (1963a). Experiments comparing yield, and residual effects on winter wheat, of 1-year clover, ryegrass and clover-ryegrass leys. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 61, 397–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Widdowson, F. V., Penny, A. & Williams, R. J. B. (1963b). An experiment comparing responses to nitrogen fertilizer of four grass species. Expl Husb. No. 9, 28–36.Google Scholar
Widdowson, F. V., Penny, A. & Williams, R. J. B. (1964). An experiment comparing responses to nitrogen fertilizer of four grass species. Part II. Residual effects in wheat and barley. Expl Husb. No. 11, 22–30.Google Scholar
Williams, T. E., Clement, C. R. & Heard, A. J. (1960). Soil nitrogen status of leys and subsequent wheat yields. Proc. 8th Int. Qrassld Cong. pp. 237–41.Google Scholar